A study at Rutgers University supports earlier research that people today eat bigger servings than they did 20 years ago.

"People aren't realizing how much they are eating," said Jaime Schwartz, a registered dietitian and one of the authors of the study. "The larger portion size they're eating — even if it's a healthy food — is still more calories."

The research, done in 2003 and described in a recent issue of the American Dietetic Association, replicated a 1984 Penn State University study.

The most surprising result is the larger portion size increases for food consumed at home — a shift that indicates marked changes in eating behavior in general," he wrote in a study published in 2003.

I don't think that the high end restaurant's portions--at least in my area--have increased. It is true, though, that the local diner's portions are huge compared to what they would have served 20, or even 10, years ago. My Aunt and Uncle are diner connoisseurs (is there such a thing?) and I have noticed, over the years, how their portions at home have increased greatly (they used to be, ummm, parsimonious). They always tout this diner or the other because the food is plentiful and the prices cheap. The change may reflect the correlation between dining out and dining in to which the article refers. Anyway, just an anecdotal observation to a thought provoking article. Thanks, Kleenex.

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